Shock absorber



NOV. 5, 1929. SNYDER 1,734,695

snocx ABSORBER Filed Au /11, 1924 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 5, 1929. J. R. SNYDER SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Aug. 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 to the chassis frame of a motor vehicle by it I UNITED STATEF :IAcoB n. snynna, or crnvnrnnngonro ASSIGNOR TO THE STAR nneounn colt Patented Nov. 5, 1929 TROLLEB COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, orrro, A ooaronn'rronon' OHIO SHOCK ABsonBnn Application filed August 11, 1924. Serial N0. 731,480.

This invention relates to shock absorbers adapted especially for use on motor vehicles.

' More particularly, the invention relates to strap is adapted to be wound and'from which it is .adapted to be unwound, the object of the invention being to provide a shock absorber of this type which is inexpensive in construc- :tion, and at the same time highly efficient in action, and which possesses to a high degree the feature of durability;

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain noveldetails of construction, and combinations and arrangements of'parts which will be described in l the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shown an embodiment of the invention which operates with high efficiency,

Fig, 1 is a sectional view through the shock absorber with the section taken parallel to the axis thereof; Fig. 2 isa sectional view "with the section taken at right angles to the section of Fig. 1, or transversely to the axis; 1 Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view substantially along the line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig.4 is a detail view illustrating a slight modification in the form and manner of constructing the rotary drum; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the shock absorber; Fig. 6 is a sectional view substan- 'tially along the line 6 6 of Fig. 1; and Fig.

:7 is a sectional view substantially along the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

j Referring now to the drawings, 10 reprei sents a so-called center bolt by which the rotating and other parts of the shock absorber are supported, and by which it may be secured means of a fitting applied to the reduced threaded end 10* of the'center bolt, this fit- ",ting adapted to engage a nut 11 which is screwed onto the reduced end, up against the shoulder 10 Fitted on the center bolt and 1 extending from the shoulder 10 to a flangelike shoulder 10.is a bushing 12 of bronze or other suitable wear resistlng materlal, and

rotatable upon this bushing is a drum which may be formed from stamped or pressed sheet metal, and in the form shown in Fig. 1 is composed of three parts, namely, a side member memoFFios 13 having at the center an inwardly bent flange constituting the bearing portion 18* engaging the bushing 12, and additionally the drum as shown in Fig. 1 comprises a peripheral portion in the form ofa band '14 and a relatively short side portion in the form of an annulus 15 which extends ashort distance inwardly from the peripheral pore tion. \Vhen the drum is thus formed, the

three parts 18, 14 and 15 can be fastened together by providing along the edges of the band 1 1, lugs 1 1: .adapted to extend into openings of the SiClQ'HlGIIlbGlS 13and 15-, and by upsetting these lugs. ;v

It isv not essential, however, thatthe. drum be formed of three separate pieces,.and in Fig. 4 I show a modification wherein the side member 18 and the band 1%? are formed in one integral'piece, or if the parts are formed of separatepieces, they-may be fastened together in different ways thanillustrated.

Between the inner or hub portion of the drum and nut 11, a packing of felt 16," or other suitable material may be utilized to. prevent loss of lubricant at this point.

' At the right of the shoulder forming flange 10 of the center bolt the latter has a portion 1O which is flattened or otherwise made noncircular, and non-rotatably fitted on this portion and bearing against the flange 10 of the center bolt is an abutment plate 17, which in this instance performs two chief functions,

' one of which is to resist the inward pressure of certain friction members to be referred to, and the second of which is to form a support for the inner end of I the spiral spring 18 which is housed within the drum, as illustrated. For the purposeof supportingthe;

spring 18, this abutment plate is provided with a tubular inwardly extending flange 19 which surrounds the bearing flange 13 of the drum. This tubular member may be se cured to the abutment plate by providing lugs 7 19 at its outerend .and extendingthese lugs through openings in the abutment "plate and upsetting the lugs (see Fig. 7). The inner end of spring 18 may be secured to this tubusection or in end v elevation it is of spiral iorn "so as to provide a continuous support for the innermost convolution of the spring when the spring is tightened or wrapped up.

The outer end of the spring is 'sectir'edto' the band 14 of the drum, as is also the strap which is adapted to be wound onto and unwound from the drum, and adapted to be attached to the. axle of the vehicle, assuming :thatthe shock absorber is employed for motor vehicles-use. .The outer end of the spring andthe nner end of the strap may be sezcur'edto the band or peripheral portion 1 L; y v y by a plug 8 1, and the innerend hfwhihhoinzmnsise es with 11? ih'o e bi e' "e ;tending" through i the 1:2 so that "the by a "single'bolt 21,.rivet, or equivalent fas- Jtening device,xand to prevent liability of the strap being extended in the wrong direction around the drum,.the, band it maybe .pro-

'vided. near the bolt21 with avprotuberance v1522 which can be formedbybending upward- :ly the ends of the strap from whichthe band .is formed, and by welding them or otherwise securing. them together. This feature, however, is-not claimed herein, but in a prior application.

, It'will be seen from the construction so far described,- that when the strap is pulled out it will. rotate the drum in one direction and :strap is releasedithe spring will rotate the drum'in the opposite'direction and wind in wind-up the spring, and 'Whenthe pull on the theist-riapr v v To frictionally retard the rotation of the drum in both directions, the following novel construction is provided: Three stationary friction disks 23,2 1 and ,25 are fitted onto the non-circular portion 10 of the center absorber can be stamped from sheetfme't'al, and they can be blanked out and'shaped in I one operation. "Additionally the constrhct'ion is such that they can bereadilyfas seinbfled so bolt inspaced relation, the inner disk 23 bear- .ingfagainstthe abutment plate 17, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the middle disk 24 i being in alignment with the annulus 15 forming a portion of one's'ide of the drum. Ad ditionallylthere is secured to opposite sides of thejannulus or drum side member 15 by rivets 26, two disks 27, ofsuitable friction -material such as oil impregnated wood or ordinary brake lining material. These disks extend inwardly from near the outer pe- 'riphlery of disks 23 and 25 to a pointnear the centerbolth It-"will be seen, therefore, thatwhen thej drum is rotated, these disks vV27,off-iict-iflt, material are also rotated in engagement with the stationary friction disks coy str'uctiion, since the disks 2T are engaged on both sides, there are-eight relatively movable 23, 2t and125. fln other words,with this concontacting surfaces at which thefriction is created to; retard. the rotation of the drum- The stationary and relatively movable friction members are pressed yieldingly together by suitable means, in this case in the form or a star spring 28 which is non-rotatably fitted onto the center bolt and is pressed against the outermost stationary friction disk 25;.by;a 'nut29 which is screwed dnto the threaded end 10 of the center bolt. In this s onsimpesedin t e lat t n-r mi ispre" rablyisupplied rto the inerio iefithe rui ell b i q th Cd t ers fthe Spring, n fpr.' }t t re t r. belt s P d W t a pass y roge o' r-eend ofwhih eternal y Cid-sea b ie t, an lbsieffl: ms, t t ir ,..A;b d 'e1?& e3.2. (see F at. 1 end between the sidemembers-of. the "a shitable distance from bOIto'r-Frivt 21'tosu p- -port the outer convolution the spring so as to keep jthe springfs ii bst'aiitiallycentral hotisingland prevent i't bending and {therefore crys talliz ing a djadht the point where it is attached to the "drum. A 'hO'ne end of this bridge piece is inthis iiistaiice extended to form a supportfor a cam ha'ped imemb er 33 1 having a toothed periphery; and

adapted to tit-gage the outer portiohbfifricj ti on 'to temporarily L hold the drum J against turning seats to p ermitfsliipinent ,the -spr1ng wound up to 'the; desired extent. S/Vllll the shock absorber isapfplie'd to a car, this device is no longer needed ai'id" may be removed.

that the cost ot'inanufacturean'd'assembly is r el'ative'lylow. Furthelyit is to be" noted that there is no unbalanced lateralpressu re-., On the other hand, the lateralthrustcreated'by the star spring is taken up byithe'ab'ntment plate 17, andthedrum it-self is relieved of lateral pressure, it being he'ces'sary for' the bearings to sustain only the load on the drum I in one. direction being caused the spring to, the strap thereon, and". the-rotation 1n the oppositedirectio n being-produced by the pull on the strap, du'r'in'gfthe rebound stroke, both movements beingifrictiona'l'ly'retarded by the friction memtersnnder theaction of the star spring which can be adjusted, as previously stated, to vary the degree of friction.

I do not desire to be confined to the precise details or arrangements shown, but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a shock absorber, a stationary center bolt, a drum, a spring for rotating the drum in one direction, a strap adapted to be wound onto and unwound from the drum, said drum having one side provided with a bearing portion and friction means on the opposite side of the drum.

2. In a shock absorber, a drum, a stra adapted to be wound onto and unwoun therefrom, a spring for rotating the drum in one direction, an abutment on the inner side of one side of the drum, friction member on opposite sides of said side of the drum, spring means for pressing said members together and a journal bearing supporting the oppo- 5 site side of the drum.

3. In a shock absorber, a stationary center bolt, a drum, a spring for rotating the drum in one direction, a strap adapted to be wound onto and unwound from the drum, said drum being rotatable in opposite directions on the center bolt and having one side provided with a bearing portion co-operating therewith, a pluralit of friction members on the opposite side 0 the drum, part of said fric-- tion members being rotatable with said side 01' the drum and part being stationary.

4. In a shock absorber, a drum having side members, one of which is adapted for rotatably supporting said drum, means for rotating said drum in opposite directions, and friction members adapted to resist rotation'of said drum, part of said friction members being secured to the other side member. I

5. In a shock absorber, a drum having side members, one of which is adapted to rotatably support said drum while the opposite side member is free at its inner portion, means for rotating said drum in opposite directions, r'riction members secured to the inner free 5 portion of said side member and rotatable therewith, and stationary friction members cooperating with said rotatable friction members to resist rotation of said drum.

6. In a shock absorber, a drum having parallel side members, one of which is provided with a lateral extension for rotatably sup porting said drum, and cooperating friction members for resisting rotation of said drum, some of said members being secured to the to other of said side members and rotatable with the latter.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

JACOB R. SNYDER. 

